As the new year is almost upon us, many people will be planning out their strategy for 2010. To help you with that strategy, I thought I'd make use of today's post by presenting some of the highlights from 2009. Some of these are strategies you should consider in planning out your new year. Others are resources you can use to help you achieve your goals. Obviously, there will be things I missed in planning out this list. Feel free to offer your own ideas in the comments section. I have included links in each section in the event you'd want to read a little more about that topic. The books mentioned below contain links to Amazon and are for your reference only. They are not part of any referral program. With that said, here are some of the top stories, research and resources from this past year.
Most Researched Nutrient: Tie Between Vitamin D and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
As for vitamins, an incredible amount of research was published on the importance of vitamin D. With our mostly-indoor lifestyles, our bodies do not produce near enough vitamin D from sunlight, so supplementing the diet with this vitamin is very important.
Omega-3 fatty acids, specifically DHA and EPA found in fish oil, have proven themselves as a very necessary supplement to the diet. With their ability to combat inflammation, support nervous system development and positively affect lipid profiles, a high-quality fish oil supplement should be a staple in everyone's nutrition plan.
Biggest Food Industry Bust: SmartChoices Program
Earlier this year, after a long project involving several large food industry companies, a new program was launched called SmartChoices. The qualifications for products to be considered a "Smart Choice" were pretty much determined by the companies themselves. The most talked-about product that met the SmartChoices criteria was Fruit Loops cereal. Thankfully, the FDA quickly got involved and the program was discontinued shortly after it launched. The big take-away from the program: If you are looking on a box of food for a label to tell you whether it is healthy or not, it's probably not the best option anyway. Most foods in their natural state aren't grown or raised in a box.
Worst News Headline: Exercise Won't Make You Thin
If the goal of the August Time article was to stir up controversy, it certainly did that. Almost promoting the idea that using exercise for weight loss is futile, it presented excuses for skipping exercise that people just didn't need to hear. With 33% of our population obese and another 33% overweight, there's no doubt that people need to exercise. Of course, that must be coupled with a good nutrition plan for optimal results.
Mounting Evidence for Weight Management: Reduced-Carbohydrates
Low-carbohydrate diets were first suggested for weight management in the 1800's, but since that time there has been a limited number of quality studies done to compare lower-carb to low-fat diets. Each person's metabolism is different and some people can manage weight with a higher-carb diet. However, there is mounting evidence that suggests a reduced-carbohydrate diet may be a healthier option for a large part of the population. Recently, more studies have been done to show benefits of reduced carbohydrate diets. In a time when high-carb foods dominate grocery store shelves, this may be worth considering.
Up and Coming Diet: Paleo Diet
One of the benefits of following a "diet" is that it gives an individual some guidelines to follow, which makes shopping for food and planning meals much easier. Over time, some diets can become a lifestyle. That is the case with what's called the Paleo (or Caveman) Diet. Basically, the goal is to make your diet as close as possible to our diet from 10,000 years ago. In the end, Paleo foods are a lot of foods eaten in their natural state, such as meats, fruit, vegetables, nuts, fish, etc. Pretty simple to follow and easy to shop for.
Scariest Statistic: Obesity Trends
I just wrote about this, but it's worth bringing up again. Projections show that in only eight years, 45% of our population will be considered obese. On one hand, it's frustrating that we continue down this path. On the other hand, we have such an incredible opportunity to improve the health of our nation through the foods we eat, the exercise programs we follow and the way we manage stress. These are things you can learn and improve on through your Life Time Fitness membership.
Best New Meal Replacement: FastFuel Complete
I have to throw this one in. It's been quite a while since Life Time Fitness has had a new meal replacement powder. Our newest version, FastFuel Complete, which became available in October, is incredibly nutritious: whey protein, digestive enzymes, Sunfiber, a proprietary fruit and vegetable blend, medium-chain triglycerides, glutamine and it tastes phenomenal. It's been great hearing from so many people about how much they love the new product.
Most Overrated Health Food: Agave Nectar
As people's fears of high fructose corn syrup and sugar in general have increased, they've looked for alternatives to provide the sweetness they're seeking. Agave nectar, with it's exotic and seemingly "natural" name, has gained favor in the health food industry. In its very raw state, it isn't bad, but as it's sold in most products in stores, the processing it goes through isn't far off from HFCS, and it ends up providing a higher percentage of fructose than HFCS does. A close second in this category would be honey, which in its raw state provides a lot of nutrition. Again, most honey in stores is extremely processed and is not a good alternative.
Most Referenced and Recommended Books (Personally): Cracking the Metabolic Code; The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth; Good Calories, Bad Calories
All three of these books are outstanding for different reasons. Cracking the Metabolic Code, written by Jim LaValle, R.Ph, CCN, MS, is a technical book that thoroughly explains the complexity of our metabolism. It does a tremendous job of showing us why weight management is about much more than "Calories In and Calories Out." It should be a reference book for everyone in the health and fitness industry. The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Dr. Jonny Bowden, is a great coffee-table book and reference for real health foods. The book includes pictures with vibrant colors and is written in an easy-to-understand language. I pick this book up at least once a week for a quick 5-minute read on a different food or supplement for that day. Good Calories, Bad Calories, written by science journalist Gary Taubes has been around for a while now. It thoroughly reviews how we've arrived at our current philosophies in health and nutrition and where some good science may have been left behind. Many people speak of following "evidence-based" research and Taubes helps the reader understand what that really means. A must-read for nutritionists and Registered Dietitians.
I'm sure as soon as I post this message, I'll think of other things that should have been added. Hopefully, you'll be able to apply a few things from this past year as you look forward to a whole new year. Best wishes on a happy and healthy new year!
In health,
Tom Nikkola
This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.
